The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1887-07-05
ONE LEAP AND HE WAS DEAD.
How Tom French and His Father
Killed a Nino- Foot Bear.

Killed Ntn0- Foot benrs
To actually shoot bear in tho wilds
of Maine is really an achievement that
few can boast of. There are bears in
the woods Of that state and New
Hampshire, but to shoot them is job
as difficult as to see them. u Tho bear Is
pronounced ono of the most difficult
animals to get sight Of that frequent
the forests of this part of the country.
Bears are killed in considerable RNn-
bers in Maine every year, but in theil
capture the rifle or shotgun plays only
poor part till after the giant st cal-trar
has forced bruin to come to halt.
Keen Of sight, hearing, and scent. the
bear has taken alarm and skulked away
long before the sharpest hun ter has
seen him The best hunters and guides
pronounce the black bear the most diff
cult animal to approach within gun
shot Mr.. j. A. French keeps u, hotel
ut Andover, Me-, which Is we'll known
to visitors of the Androscoggin lax es
by the shortest route. Mr. French is o
noted fox-hunter. His score last win.
ter was twenty-six chiefly killed with
the gun. He is keen shot with the
rifle, as is also his son Tom, 10 years Of
age.
A few days ago farmer living q
mile below French's hotel in Andover,
found that an old bear had killed a
couple of lambs from his flock Of sheep.
Mr. French advised the careful housing
of the rest of the flock. but requested
that the dead lambs be suffered to re-
main where bruin had put an end to
their existence by single stroke of his
paw. Mr.. Ere nch says that he calcula-
ted that about the second night the old
bear would return to finish his repast
Accordingly, on the second night,
French and Tom took their rifles and
quietly stole away from home. About
10 o'clock they were on the ground
near the dead lambs. They came to an
ambush thirty yards away, and calmly
waited for the moon to rise. BY the
time that luminary was we'll up in the
sky an enormous black object was seen
coming down the mountain.
There he is" whispered French.
II see himi' answered Tom. you
give the world" BY this time Tom s
gun rested on the top of the fence, but
French's gun was at his shoulder, with
out rest The old bear rather slowly
and cautiously approached. At this
moment another bear, up in the noun
tain, only short distance away, gave
that dismal scream that generally I'M
nerves the night bear hunter, but not
French and Tom. They were cycling
their game with all their might, trying
to draw close bead on him by the
moonlight He stopped and turned his
head in their direction. He had scent
ed them or seen them, and the next
bound would have given the hunters
only running shot, or perhaps no
shot at all. But they were too quick for
him. Both rifles rang out. The bear
gave one leap backward and fell dead.
French had shot him through the
head and Tom through the spinal cord,
Just forward of the shoulder, both fatal
shots. Both guns had spoken so near
together that French asked Tom why
he did not fire. Tho hunters went back
to the hotel happy at their exploit and
so short time had they been absent
that their neighbors could hardly be-
leve that they had really shot the BEAR
till the enormous carcass, nearly nine
feet in length, was dragged into the
village by willing hands.